February reading summary and March TBR

I read (almost) everything on my February TBR! And I went to a writing workshop, plus edited a huge chunk of my novel… AND I started a new job (same company) this month! So, overall February was a major win for me.

Here is what I read in February with my very brief assessment of each (links go to Goodreads):

Writing the Other by Nisi Shawl and CynthiaWard (kindle) — excellent tips and writing exercises, highly recommend this for all writers

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (hardcover, signed special edition) — sweeping multi-generation saga with fantastic writing, definitely lives up to the hype

Home (Binti #2) by Nnedi Okorafor (kindle) — starts off a little slow, but gets really interesting when Binti gets into the deep desert, left me wanting more

The Book Smugglers’ Quarterly Almanac: Volume 2 edited by The Book Smugglers (kindle) — this is so full of excellent essays and short stories all relating to the theme of amazing, powerful, and diverse women, highly recommend buying this

Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison (kindle) — insightful and thought provoking literary critique on the role of African Americans in “classic” American Literature

Next month I’m planning on catching up with new books and pre-orders. I have one roll-over from February, two that I bought last month but didn’t get a chance to read, one new book out on library loan, and two pre-orders that will show up at the end of March.

Here’s what’s on my TBR for March (links go to Goodreads):

The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2) by N. K. Jemisin (kindle, pre-order) — My one hold over from my February TBR. I switched gears from reading to writing after the writing workshop, and before I knew it, the month was over. I am dying to read this, but I really want a chunk of uninterrupted time to read so I can immerse myself in this world I love.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (kindle, library) — Somehow I managed to get this from the library within weeks of its release date, on kindle. I’m slightly shocked. I haven’t started it yet, but I’m not about to let this opportunity slip out of my hands. However, I definitely need to read this before the end of March due to some incoming pre-orders that will require my kindle to be off airplane mode.

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic, #3) by V. E. Schwab (kindle, pre-order) — It’s the last book in this series! Book 2 ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, so I’m anxious to see what happens. It took all my willpower not to just dive right in, but I really want to savor this one. So, I’m making myself wait until I’m done with my edits…

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (kindle, pre-order) — I’ve been following this author and book since she got her agent. I am so excited to read this book that I think I will likely dive into this one before all the others.

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) by Laini Taylor (kindle, pre-order) — I just talked about this one in my Mar/Apr pre-order post, so all I’ll say here is that I’ve been waiting for this one for a long time, but I still might hold off a few days so I can devour it in one go over the weekend. If I do, that will technically roll this to my April TBR, but whatever.

A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen, #2) by Roshani Chokshi (kindle, pre-order) — I also talked about this one in my Mar/Apr pre-order post. This happens to come out on the same day as Laini Taylor’s book, which is going to make for some hard decisions for me… BUT, I think I may dive into this one first. I have a feeling this is going to be one I won’t want to put down, which means I’ll probably be reading on the sly on my phone when I’m supposed to be working. Shhh…

Against my better judgement, I’m getting a little ambitious with my TBR this month. Realistically, I’m never going to have enough free time to read all these books before the end of March. Maybe I would if all I wanted to do is read (which is sometimes the case). But, I finally had a break-through on something that was bugging me about one of my novels after getting feedback from a freelance editor. Now I’m in the middle of frantically revising, trying to finish before I lose the thread. That alone will likely take most of my free-time in March. I also have two other writing projects I want to work on, plus I’m in the middle of ramping up on my new position in my day job. So, yeah. March is going to be a busy month, but reading (and swimming) is what keeps me sane. So, as usual, I’ll find (make) time for everything.